[HPFGU-Movie]HP DVDs in wide screen vs full screen

[nicholas at adelanta.co.uk]

Mental note; Add to New Year's Resolutions; stay current with this list.
Meanwhile, here is my take on an old discussion.

 I think that the widescreen version is the only one released on DVD in the
UK; but the video is full-screen. We bought it for someone for Christmas
and I took the opportunity to watch it.

I don't like PoA in F/S format. It was clearly intended as a widescreen
format when it was filmed; in order to show several scenes in F/S, they
have had to pan the camera across the actors on several occasions. In the
Christmas card scene (when the Trio are listening to the conversation
between Rosmerta, McGonagle and Fudge in Hogsmeade) only Hermione and Harry
are visible in the F/S version.

There are two scenes though which work better in F/S. The first is in the
Shrieking Shack, when Snape arrives. In the widescreen version, you see him
coming up the stairs; in the F/S version, the first you know of his
presence is his voice saying 'expelliarmus'; it comes as more of a
surprise. Likewise, when H&H are being chased by the werewolf and they back
round the tree, in the W/S version, you see the werewolf backtracking and
moving behind them. In the F/S, you only become aware of where the werewolf
when H&H do; again, the surprise element is better in this version.

PS/SS was released on DVD in both versions in the UK, and that one I
actually preferred in F/S; you don't feel that there is anything missing,
and there's no panning back and forth with the camera.

I imagine that it's the difference between the two directors and the way in
which they filmed.

There is one thing that does drive me crazy about the W/S version of PoA;
not being in possession of a massive TV, I find that you miss a lot of the
subtleties of facial expression. The picture really is considerably smaller
in the W/S version.

Cheers,
Nicholas